This is sweet perfection, the exact book you're going to want to have with you this Valentine's Day as you curl up with some chocolate and wine.

The premise of the book is simple. Helen's family and friends are worried about the fact that she doesn't have a boyfriend. What could possibly be better than pretending she does have one until after Valentine's Day blows over? Luckily she has the perfect candidate in mind-- her friend Taylor, who she totally has no romantic feelings for-- until she does :)

I blew through this book in a few hours during which I most definitely should have been doing other things-- I could not put it down.

Helen's narrative voice is HILARIOUS. She's the kind of person who thinks one heart emoji is excessive, that non-anatomically correct hearts are bizarre, and that it's important to have enough time alone to be cranky. She's also not above fantasizing about Taylor wearing nothing but bowling shoes. But beneath her quirkiness and pessimism, she's a smart, funny, kind, and interesting person who deserves everything good that the book ultimately gives her. As a bonus her mother is hilarious too-- the kind of meddling mom who is too pure hearted in her intentions to be truly annoyed with.

When the romance finally comes it is the sweetest thing in the world. And when the sex comes it's incredibly sexy too. I loved how Lau described their first kiss-- I felt myself melting right along with them. And I appreciated how naturally the relationship flowed and developed-- in this trope you know what's coming, but the execution here was seamless and had me smiling along every step of the way.

Even though the book is light and funny and fluffy, I absolutely loved that the characters also opened up to one another about serious topics, particularly race and micro aggressions. You truly could feel that there was substance in their relationship and way more between them than fluff and sex.

While my rating would have been the same either way, I also adore how Lau describes Toronto. I've never been there but she made me wish I could go. Her love for the city and the little things that make it beautiful really came through the page.

I recommend this to absolutely anyone who enjoys contemporary romance with some humor thrown in, as long as you can stomach the fake relationship trope. But actually, give it a chance even if you can't stomach the fake relationship trope-- Lau might just be the person to change your mind.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! It was a quick, lighthearted and a fun read. I'm not very into books with "Valentine's day" theme, but this one was really a funny one.
🥧
I just liked the athmosphere in this book, involving a lot of heartshaped chocolate cakes, all the food making with the family and gossiping with the best girlfriends. Not to mention the chemistry between Helen and Taylor. A lot of spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️ scenes (the only thing I didn't like with this book). I liked Taylor and that he really thought of every detail to make it seem believable that he really is Helen's new "boyfriend". A lovely friends-to-lovers story that get you hooked from the first page.

This is my first book from this author. I found everything about the cover and blurb cute, so I was more than excited to read it. Who doesn't love a good romance story? I know I do. I truly wished I would have loved this story more. I thought it had so much potential, but it fell flat in a few areas for me. Helen was an okay character, but it took me a good while to warm up to her character as she came off as a debbie-downer and her actions were juvenile at times. The beginning of the story was almost depressing, and it was so slow at times. There were more than a few times where I had to remind myself that Helen was a grown adult. I got tired of hearing about Charlie, and I just wanted to shake Helen and say get over it, move on. Now when it came to Taylor, I absolutely loved him. He was a laid-back character that was caring, charming, sweet and a character you always wanted around. He just made things better. Although, I could have gone without knowing every type of outfit he wore in the story. I absolutely disliked his mom and the way she treated him, but I loved that he had a great relationship with his dad. This story wasn't terrible, there were just things I liked and disliked about it, and I was a little disappointed because I thought it could have been so much better. It had its sweet and steamy moments, but I needed more. This is the type of story that is good for a one-time read for me.

This was a short and sweet fake-dating rom-com. I liked the premise, but I feel like the story tried to pack way too much in for the length that it just seemed wholly underdeveloped. I always appreciate a happy ending, but I wanted more from this! I also-could NOT stand the MC’s voice-she spoke about herself in such a negative and derogatory way, and it was only partially resolved.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Kobo originals. All opinions are my own.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Weirdly, Valentine’s Day romances don’t usually appeal to me. They feel forced and hokey and are often trope-heavy. This book, however, was the perfect V-Day romance. We have a Valentine’s Day hating grump, her best friend from high school, all tossed together by the fake dating trope. Even though Valentine’s Day was an important part of the plot, it didn’t overtake the whole story which allowed the characters to develop and actual relationship. As a novella, I think this also had excellent pacing with nothing feeling too rushed but also no superfluous details. It moved along at the perfect pace, and was a great weekend afternoon read. Definitely recommend!

aa this was such an adorable yet relatable romcom !!! both helen and taylor were absolutely amazing characters who both had their own realistic struggles and their own ways to deal with them...like for example taylor was literally the most relatable character i've ever seen omg?? their relationship was super cute and literally had me giggling, blushing and kicking my feet like a little girl :)) i'll definitely consider trying more books from jackie lau!

📝 my rating: 4/5 ⭐

📌 (thank you to netgalley and kobo originals for letting me read a digital copy of this upcoming book in exchange for my honest review!)

‘Not Your Valentine’ is the sweetest and all around cutest romance I’ve read in a while.

The book is only about 120 pages (ebook ver.) so it is obviously fast-paced but I think the way it’s laid out, jumping from date to date with some heartwarming moments featuring Helen’s friends and family in-between the dates, really made for a quick and really enjoyable read.

The dates were adorably tied to the main characters’ personalities and gradually developed their relationship and chemistry in such a realistic way. I also liked finding out that the relationship between the main leads had some actual previous backing to it and wasn’t just an instant-love scenario.

Nearing the end, there wasn’t a huge dumb reason for conflict like many fake-dating situations. Instead, it was just a quick bad-communication moment based on the characters’ insecurities (which actually made sense tbh I would probably do the same lol).

The only thing that I felt was lacking was honestly just more time to really explore the details of the dates and Taylor’s thoughts.

Anyway, I definitely recommend checking out this book for valentine’s day<3


eArc from NetGalley!

This was a super short, friends to lovers, easy to read book. I finished it in one sitting. There were some funny moments, some absolutely relatable moments, and two really good main characters.

This is a really sweet story, but it is not a sweet romance, there are some pretty steamy moments in this book.

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Helen Tsang is tired of the pitying looks. From her parents, her friends, and even the bubble tea shop guy, who recognized her from the video. Almost one year ago, some loser couldn’t mind their own damn business and filmed an unsuspecting Helen's very public break-up during what was supposed to be a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. A video of her ex-boyfriend saying, "It's not me, it's you. You're holding me back" went viral.

Desperate to give everyone something else to talk about and with Valentine’s Day approaching once again, she asks her long-time friend Taylor Li to be her fake boyfriend, just to prove that she's moved on and hasn’t sworn off love. (Spoiler alert: She's totally sworn off love.) Taylor is the perfect option—single for once, and for some godforsaken reason, he loves Valentine’s Day.

But Helen didn't expect was how easy it would be to get Taylor on board, fitting right into the boyfriend-shaped hole in her life. All she wanted was a couple sickeningly sweet dates to fill her social feeds, not corny text messages of silly heart-shaped cakes, and bouquets of flowers that harbor hidden meanings. Wanting to be around his sunshine attitude and delicious forearms all the time? That definitely wasn't expected.

With February 14 quickly approaching, it's getting increasingly difficult to ignore her feelings, especially when she starts wishing it wasn’t all an act.

Oh God. What has she done?
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Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

4.25/5 stars! This was such a sweet, cozy read. I did wish it was longer, but just so I could spend more time with Helen and Taylor. Their friends-to-lovers journey was so believable and genuine. Watching Helen fall for, and try to deny her feelings, reminded me so much of myself when I was younger. I found it really enjoyable and would definitely read more from this author.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

First, why people record video and post it without permition? Year after that why this human dedicate an article for that video??? Get a life..

I love this book, swooonn everywhere, Helen was so sweet with her grumpy but silent goeey to Taylor. I snicker when read Helen opinion about lovey dovey thing but secretly she want do it with Taylor. I love how there spending time together, have same idea, sweet together. The sexy time was hot too..

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#NotYourValentine #JackieLau #KoboOriginals #RakutenKobo #NetGalley #ARC

Thank you for this ARC! This was super witty and funny. A really quick read but a sweet romcom. I liked the writing style a lot and the characters were great.

⭐️⭐️ 3/5 🌶️ 2/5 (didn’t like, but it’s steamy! Warning)
Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. This was a good read. The writing style was a bit dry, but this was a hilarious read. The FMC was relatable lmaooo with her pessimistic personality, her unique thought processing skills, and all the random negative stuff happening to her. Her mom was so funny, in fact this whole book was so funny I was laughing out loud.
Moving on to the romance, the MCs did have chemistry, but tbh, FMC went from thinking of him as a brother of many years, to a love interest within the span of like two days.
Tropes: friends to lovers, fake dating, guy falls first, romcom, slow burn romance

Thank you @kobobooks for the gifted ARC copy! ✿(⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝)✿

❝ He smiles like he really is glad to see me, and I smile back. Genuinely, not because it's the right thing to do. Spending time with Taylor always makes me feel that way❞🤍
- Jackie Lau, Not Your Valentine

From the author of THE UNMATCHMAKERS and THE STAND-UP GROOMSMAN comes a chocolate-filled love story starring a heroine who is convinced she knows what will make her happy and a hero who seizes the opportunity to prove her wrong.

Last Valentine’s Day, Helen’s boyfriend publicly broke up with her, and the video went viral. Fast forward to the present, she is still single, and friends and family still feel bad about what happened. To make them stop pitying her, Helen decides to fake a relationship with her High school friend, Taylor.

It was a fast and light read filled with many aww moments that made me smile. The author did a great job when she transitioned Helen and Taylor's relationship from friends to lovers in the story. I love how they are comfortable with each other; they can freely do and say anything they want. They have a connection where they know what the other wants and needs, and I find it really cool. I also love how thoughtful and caring Taylor is. Giving suggestions on food and restaurants that he thinks Helen will like. Helen is also a great character, and I appreciate her attentiveness and kindness toward Taylor. Overall, it was a sweet novel and definitely worth binge-reading.🥰

This book was perfect but in my heart I feel like it’s not even close to being over? I just want to still be reading it??? Like I’ve been sitting here on my phone for ten minutes and every few seconds mid doom scroll I’m like wait I need to go keep reading Not Your Valentine and then I remember all over again that I finished it 😭

Ugh it was just so cute and funny!! The “I hate Valentine’s Day” thing can get old real fast for someone (me) who loves pink and sprinkles and glitter and things shaped like hearts, but I thought this concept was fresh, fun, and incredibly charming!!!

The hero was 5’5” and while he was still taller than the heroine, I loved how height was used in the book. Plus he had long hair and she pulled it a lil bit and 🥵 Taylor was the definition of a cinnamon roll in the streets and some hot cross buns in the sheets. The book had a few explicit sex scenes plus a hot masturbation/dildo scene from Helen’s POV.

Y’all idk this book kinda did a number on me I’m just staring at my ceiling listening to Crazier by Taylor Swift on a loop. I just loved the atmosphere of the food and the soups and the friends and the baking and the fake dating. It was just so cozy!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

I hope Kobo does an audiobook version bc I’d listen immediately!!!

Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley! All opinions are honest and my own.

I loved this book! It was short and sweet with just the perfect amount of spice! I loved the main characters! Helen felt so real. Her inability to trust herself or her feelings resonated with me. Who hasn’t felt that after being rejected? Also if someone broke up with me and it was all over social media I would still be hibernating. Then we have sweet, sweet Taylor who is a considerate cinnamon roll!

Read this if you like funny, sweet friends to fake dating to lovers!
Also yeah representation!!!
Thanks Netgallery and Kobo for this ARC! It was my first one 😍

Helen is tired of pitying looks because her ex-bf dumped her viciously on Valentine's day last year. Now she just wants to move on so she ask her friend Tyalor to be her fake bf to prove that she is fine. Of course, she ends up falling for him...

A fun book. Love Taylor and Helen. Her ex is such a jerk. Unbelievably, it makes many real life exes look like saints! :) Love the humor and sass. A light-hearted fun book.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I may have giggled and kicked my feet while reading this. It’s a light story that heats up along the way. Friends-to-Lovers is one of my favorite tropes and this was done well. She had it real bad for my boy Taylor!

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity. All opinions are my own

This book was just your average romance novel. It was a really quick and easy read so if you’re looking for something enjoyable that you can get through quickly this book is for you.

Jackie Lau’s writing style is very easy to read. I love how she conveys Helen’s thoughts and conversations she has with herself in her head, I found it to be very relatable.

I wish the book had a little bit more details or even was a little bit longer. It was as if something negative would happen in one chapter but by the next everything would be resolved. It was a little too simple and unrealistic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kobo for this book.

Another cute romance from Jackie Lau! I really enjoyed The Unmatchmakers from Jackie when it released earlier this year, so I was very excited to pick up Not Your Valentine. I love the grumpy x sunshine dynamic in this novel--books where the female main character is the grumpy one are my favorite. The fake dating to real relationship felt naturally developed alongside Helen's character development too. I only wish this was dual-POV so that we got to see more of Taylor's inner thoughts and feelings about the whole situation. I felt like I barely knew him as a character/love interest. Additionally, even though we're told that he and Helen are good friends from high school, I had a hard time imagining that through how stilted their interactions sometimes felt. Overall, if you're looking for a short and sweet Valentine's Day-themed romance, you'll love Not Your Valentine!

Helen has sworn off romance after a video of her getting dumped on Valentine’s day goes viral. With another Valentine’s day just around the corner and already sick of the pitying stares of her friends and coworkers, she asks her longtime friend Taylor to pretend to be her boyfriend. During their charade, Helen realizes that maybe she’s not as closed off to romance as she originally thought, but does Taylor feel the same?

When I started this book, I was a little wary of reading through Helen’s perspective in a first person POV. I love a grumpy/sunshine trope but I’m not used to reading it through the grumpy perspective, and her personality grated on my nerves at first. However, as the book progressed, she opened up more and I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy her story. I do wish the book had explored Taylor more. I feel like we got the outline of his personality with the general aspects of it, but I was dying for that outline to be filled in.

One thing I really enjoyed were the natural dips into both Asian and Canadian culture. Both were prevalent and in my opinion made the story stronger and more grounded.